Do you give vitamin supplement to your baby if you are exclusively breastfeeding ?

Question

Baby is 2 months old and gaining weight well.

I mean vitamin D supplement.

The baby is asian and dark skinned.I did call up doctor but they connected me to his nurse and said its not required.

The nurse didnt connect me to doctor.

Answer 1

No I don't and I wouldn't. Vitamin suppliments can cause digestive problems and can be aspirated into the lungs. And I live in Canada.

Check out:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamin-d.html
"First of all, babies rarely need vitamin D supplements. The babies who do need these supplements need them due to a lack of sufficient sunlight. Factors that put your breastfed baby at risk for vitamin D deficiency (rickets) are:"

And a really good overview:
http://www.infactcanada.ca/breastmilk_and_vitamin_d_adequac.htm

Really, and I don't want to sound like a nut job, but everytime the say breastmilk doesn't have enough X when they actually study blood levels in infants, as opposed to the level in breastmilk they find low and behold they have enough. Because nutrients in breastmilk are in forms where 90-100% are absorbed, unlike almost any other food.

We are STILL being influenced by the formula industry and the deep mistrust of women's bodies of decades gone by. We still keep believing breastmilk is somehow inadequate. If it were there WOULD BE NO HUMANS. We would have died out 100s of years ago.

Answer 2

The nurses usually are your best source of information about things like this. Breast milk provides everything the baby needs. When the baby is between 4 and 6 months old and starts eating baby cereal, the extra iron and vitamins needed by baby will be provided through that cereal. You would only need to supplement with vitamins if you exclusively breast-feed well past the time when the baby is 4 - 6 months old.

Answer 3

Whether to give a Vitamin D supplement also depends on where you live. I live in California and my pediatrician said it is not necessary because it is sunny here so much of the year. However, if I lived elsewhere in the country, he would have recommended it for my breastfed baby. I would talk to your doctor.

Answer 4

Yes the baby does. I just got a prescription for my babies doctor which is Enfamil PolyViSol with iron. Can be bouught over the counter. My baby is 2mths. Dr. said that he needs this b/c he is not getting these vitamins such as vitamin d and iron in my milk. a lack of vitamin d causes rickets. so yes the baby does need this if he is drinking anything less than 17fll oz. of formula.

Answer 5

I was told I did not have to give the baby vitamins because the breast milk is all they need. My doctor told me I could stay on prenatals while nursing.

Answer 6

I am breastfeeding my 3 week old and I dont give her any vitamins. They told me to eat right and continue taking prenatals and my breastmilk is all she needs and shes already almost 9 pds 2 pds more than when she was born..

Answer 7

I never gave any supplements. I nursed 3 babies

Answer 8

i attempt to grant them to my 6 month previous daughter daily, yet generally omit a pair days a week. My checklist pronounced that's advantageous to omit it on occasion. I somewhat have heard of a few toddlers coming up rickets because of the fact their mothers and dads refusing to grant their toddlers the supplementations.

Answer 9

You are supposed to give your infant vitamin drops if you are exclusively breastfeeding because the breast milk does not provide vitamin A & D. I was told by my childs doctor to give them the drops to prevent Ricketts and other diseases.

Answer 10

No as long as you take care of yourself and take vitamins he will get what he needs from the breast milk. But if you think he needs something call his dr.